


When Love and Death Embrace

by tomlucitor



Category: Boyfriend to Death (Visual Novels)
Genre: Blood, Burning/Injuries, Eventual Smut, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, I'm bad at tagging please forgive me padre, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Kidnapping I guess, Medical stuff, Needles/Syringes, Ren Hana/Ash Spectre, Sano Kojima/Ash Spectre, Strade/Sarah Nac, traumatic past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2017-11-25
Packaged: 2018-12-08 08:55:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 16,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11643183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tomlucitor/pseuds/tomlucitor
Summary: Sano expected to find another victim to cut open and leave for dead. She clearly had other plans.





	1. The Beginning of The End

She woke slowly, groggy from the night before. It didn't take long for her to notice that she felt abnormally cold. She attempted to get up, but was jerked back down onto the hard surface below her by the restraints on her wrists. 

That's when it hit her. 

What little memory she had of last night came flooding back, sending her into panic. She had gone to a bar and met a doctor (or at least, so he called himself) named Sano, and then briefly talked to his brother. Deciding she liked the company of the Sano much better, she left the bar without waiting for his brother to come back for her. After that, everything went black…

Ash was shaking now, either from the killer migraine she had or from fear. She wanted to scream, but thought better of it. Her eyes had somewhat adjusted to the darkness by now. It appeared she was in some type of medical lab, on a surgical table. Various hospital-grade machinery surrounded her, looming over her, intimidating her. Tears fell down her cheeks, taking last night's makeup with it. 

‘There has to be some way for me to get out!’ She thought, looking around frantically. Nothing of use was within her reach. Her restraints were just tight enough to keep her in place without restricting blood flow. Whoever had her down here clearly knew what they were doing. Just as she was about to give up and yell for help, the door swung open. 

“I was wondering when you were gonna wake up.” Said a familiar voice. Ash’s heart jumped into her throat as Sano walked nonchalantly towards her. 

“Why do you have me here?!” She cried, trying to pull away from the medical table. Sano grabbed her head in his hand and shoved her back down. 

“Struggling will only make this experience a lot worse for you.” He said curtly. “I brought you here to be a human experiment, of sorts.” Striding over to a little filing cabinet, Sano pulled a blank case file and a pen from one of the drawers. 

“What are you gonna do to me…?” Ash managed to choke out. Sano looked boredly at her from behind his glasses. 

“Whatever I feel would be interesting. Whatever you can handle. Which brings me to my next question; do you have any physical illnesses?”

Ash sat there for a moment, staring stupidly at her captor. Was this honestly normal to him? She swallowed thickly, deciding it would be best to cooperate. 

“I have chronic migraine and insomnia. I-I'm on a lot of medication that I really need-”

“Just for those problems?” He interrupted, scribbling notes into her case file.

“No, I take antidepressants too… And nausea medication… And birth control...”  
Sano squinted at her disapprovingly. 

“Good god, you're already giving me a lot of trouble. I hope you're worth it, Ashtyn.” He sighed, standing up and walking over to the darker half of the room. “I don't even need to ask if you're in any pain right now. I can tell by the way your voice has changed since last night that you're hurting. Give me a moment.” 

Confused, she peered closer, trying to make her vision better. This prompted her to remember another important detail. 

“I also wear contacts!” She chirped. Sano stopped whatever he was doing and turned to look at her, obviously not amused. “...Sorry I need to see…” Ash mumbled. Her kidnapper chuckled, still not looking very happy.

“I can see I'm gonna have to start off gently with you.” He said slowly, examining a syringe he had just filled. “No matter. That just gives you more time to learn how to act right.” Fear bubbled within her stomach as he walked towards her, holding the syringe up. “My first tip for you, is that that attitude of yours isn't gonna get you far.” Before she could protest, he was carefully examining her arm. 

“Look at that..” The dark-haired man breathed. “You have really, really great veins. Maybe you will be a promising little subject, after all.” He drug his finger down her forearm, from her vein to her wrist. A shiver ran down her spine, much to his surprise. “Sensitive, too. That'll make this interesting… Hold still.” Without warning, he stuck the needle into her arm, quickly injecting the concoction of fluids into her bloodstream. 

“What exactly was that…?” Ash squeaked, watching as he covered her bleeding puncture wound with gauze. 

“You're quite the bleeder.” He mumbled. “Anyway… That was one of multiple shots you'll need. I can't have anything else affecting you when I'm working on you. This was just to get rid of any pain you might currently be feeling, and prevent you from getting any more migraines for the time being.” Sano threw the used needle into a hazardous waste bin beside the examination table. “I've still got a lot more to give you. You're lucky I'm a doctor.” 

After what seemed like an eternity, Sano came back with 3 more syringes. As he gave her the first two, he explained what they were for to ease her mind. One was a type of birth control that would also suppress her nausea. The next was to increase her serotonin production. He said that he’d allow her to take a tranquilizer when he felt that she needed to sleep. When he didn't explain the third one to her, she grew concerned. 

“What was that one for?” Ash inquired, watching Sano clean up her now very much bruised vein. 

“An anesthetic I made myself. With a little extra in there to keep your brain from suppressing all of the memories you and I are gonna make together.” A sinister grin appeared on his pale face. Ash felt her body grow cold again. 

“What do you mean by that…?” She asked shakily. 

“It means, my angel,” Sano tilted her chin up towards him, “That you're always going to remember the caress of my knife against your skin.”

Ash stared at him for a moment. What exactly was he going to do with her? Was this all some sick, sadistic joke? He grabbed a scalpel from the little table beside him and looked her carefully up and down.

“I know it’s not conventional, but I like that you have extra meat on your bones.” Sano said, eliciting an offended scoff from Ash. “It just means I have more surface area to play around with.” Before she could refute, he drug the scalpel down her leg, making her tense up. A few drops of blood welled up at random along the length of the cut. His eyes trailed their way up her body to meet her gaze. Without warning, he slashed at her wrists, causing her to shoot into a sitting position.

“W-what the fuck?!” She sputtered, watching blood pour from the wound. He shoved her down once again and dug around in the fresh cut with his weapon. Her nails dug into her palms, and she let out a strangled scream. 

“The tendons in your arm aren’t exactly perfect.” Sano remarked, grinning devilishly at her. “You work on the computer a lot as an English student, don’t you?” Ash covered her mouth with her free hand to stifle her cries, feeling her stomach churn despite the medicine she was given. 

“Alright, alright. Calm down.” The doctor cooed, putting a hand on her face. With the other hand, he placed the scalpel back in its rightful place, and began to patch up the damage he’d done. “I didn’t expect you to handle that well. How’s your pain tolerance?”

Ash couldn’t muster a response. Her brain felt foggy. She wasn’t sure if she was dissociating, being overstimulated, or both. Noticing her visibly cringing, Sano cocked an eyebrow.

“I think I’ve got some poking around to do in that brain of yours. You’re not all right in the head, are you?” She glared at him, earning an amused chuckle from her host. “It’s alright. You’ll be just fine, soon. We’ll work on your mental health tomorrow. Sleep for now, alright?” Pulling a little blue pill and a tiny bottle of water from his lab coat, he set them beside her.

“Hold on a second! You’re just gonna completely alter who I am, aren’t you? Why did you cut me open? C-can’t you give me any answers at all? Can you please send someone to take care of my dog at home?!” Sano glared at her from above the rim of his glasses. In one fluid motion, he gave her a hard slap across the face and shoved the pill down her throat, along with enough water to force it down. 

“You ask too many questions. I have your ID, I’ll get your address from there and take care of your dog… Don’t give me that look! I’m not interested in hurting animals!” As he slammed the door shut, Ash felt her body grow weary. She fought to stay awake, but succumbed to a fitful sleep.


	2. Disarm Me (With Your Loneliness)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sano discovers the extent of Ash's good ol'fashioned MENTAL ILLNESS.  
> (This chapter references child abuse. If that is something that will cause you distress, PLEASE do not read this chapter! love yourselves <3)

She awoke to the sound of rubber gloves snapping. Looking up, she saw Sano standing over her, dressed in full medical gear.

“Hello again.” He said nonchalantly, his voice slightly muffled by the surgical mask covering the bottom half of his face. “Could you not do that thing where you sit up really quickly and ask me a bunch of questions? There’s currently a bunch of wires attached to your head, and it was quite tedious to put them on… You’ve got a lot of hair.”

Ash raised her eyebrows, suddenly very aware that she was indeed hooked up to what resembled a sort of open EEG machine. 

“Well, am I allowed to ask what you’re doing to my head?” She sassed, trying to look at him from his position behind her. He sighed.

“I suppose… I’m going to monitor your brain activity for awhile. See what you’ve got going on. Your medical history says you’ve gotten a few MRIs and EEGs… It’ll be sorta like that.” Ash blinked at him in confusion, and he chuckled. “I don’t have my PhD because I’m an idiot, Ashtyn. I know how to get your records.”

Ash made a face that could only be described as mild disgust. “How… How old ARE you?”

“I’m 27, why--”

“HOLY SHIT” Ash had to force herself to stay still. “I thought you were like… 24ish? You know I’m only--”

“18, yes. I found that out very quickly when I realized that you had one legitimate ID and one very, very fake one, which I assume you used to get into the bar you met me at?” She rolled her eyes.

“Whatever, dad.” She grumbled, settling back into the table. Sano shot her a glare and shook his head. He walked back over to what appeared to be a screen for him to monitor her brain activity. Ash was almost amused by his initial, shocked reaction.

“Yeah, I know.” She smirked. “You don’t have to say anything, I know it’s bad. You could have just asked for my mental health record. I would have told you everything.” When he didn’t respond, she simply shrugged and allowed herself to rest while he tapped eagerly at his computer. His rhythmic typing soothed her, in a way she hadn’t felt in awhile. It almost lulled her to sleep, but she couldn’t quite get there. For what felt like hours, she laid still on the table, trapped in limbo between sleep and the woken world. Her thoughts became vivid, but still foggy. She heard soft music. She saw visions that she felt she recognized, though she’d never been to the place before. Before her she saw a dark forest, the atmosphere thick with death and gray. The trees around her seemed to be blurry. As she looked ahead, she saw the corpses of various forest animals littering the floor of dead, brown autumn leaves. Despite the morbid scenario, she felt calm. She felt at home. She felt happy.

Sano watched her for a moment. He couldn’t help but wonder what she was thinking of. Whatever it was, her scans were showing that she was very serene. Was it because of the serotonin solution he’d given her? Or perhaps she was just happy to be away from her normal life? Taking one last look at the dozens of images of the inner and outer workings of her mind, he stood. Without thinking, he approached her, slowly enough so that she was not shaken from the purgatory she currently resided in. She looked beautiful, he thought. Finally he knew the reason behind the dark circles under her eyes and her compliance to his demands. She was broken. He didn’t know how, or by whom, but her psyche was picked apart and left a pile of shattered remains as a child. Nevertheless, he would get to the bottom of it.

He would fix her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Ashtyn.” Sano said gently, touching his hand to her arm. Her dull blue eyes fluttered open slowly. “I’m done with your examination. You can move around now, if you’d like.” She stared at him for a moment, her eyes still heavy with sleep, before slowly sitting up. 

“I want to talk to you about what I found.” He explained. “I knew already that you had major depressive disorder, borderline personality disorder, and anxiety. I found that very easily from your records… But your scans showed me so much more.” The dark-haired man pulled a chair from the right side of the table she was confined to and sat down. The way he looked at her struck something in her heart that she hadn’t felt before. 

“Your brain has the same activity and inactivity areas as patients with post-traumatic stress disorder and a dissociative disorder. Can you tell me about that?” His one visible eye stared deep within her, as if he was looking at her soul, rather than her face. Ash chewed her lip nervously for a moment, unsure of where to begin. She wanted to be honest with him.

“Well… My father was an abusive man, to say the least. He’s responsible for almost all of my trauma… Definitely all of my childhood trauma, but…” She took a deep breath, trying to force the words out. Beating around the bush would get her nowhere. “He was manipulative, and abusive in every single way. He tore my sanity to shreds. He ruined me.” She mustered up the courage to look Sano in the eye. “I’ve had headmates since I was about five years old. That's when things got bad. I never knew, really, until it all came to me… What he did, anyway. That’s when I came to terms with my dissociative disorder. So, you’re right. About everything.” 

Sano opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when she began sobbing uncontrollably.

“A-are you gonna do the same thing to me, Sano?” She choked, wrapping her arms around herself and bringing her knees to her chest. His eyebrows shot up.

“God, no.” He assured her, standing up. “I don’t want to harm your mental state. Just your physical one. And hell, hurting you isn’t even what I truly aim for. I just want to see your reactions. Learn your body’s chemistry.” In a rare moment of empathy, he sat next to her on the examination table. “I may cut people open for fun, but I’m not interested in making their sanity decay. Especially you.” His eyes widened when he realized what he said. He looked down at her, silently cursing himself when he saw a hopeful look in her watery eyes. “I mean I don’t want to fuck you up any more than you’ve already been… You know what I mean!” He pushed off of the table in a huff, but instantly regretted being so harsh. With a soft, exhausted groan, the doctor turned back to his patient.

“Will you stop crying if I tell you a secret about me, too?” Sano sighed, folding his arms. “I can’t have you sitting alone in here in this state, and I really need to get upstairs and feed Shaun.” Ash looked up at him through her tears, nodding sadly. He had to suppress his amusement. The sight of her with red, puffy eyes and chubby, tear-stained cheeks reminded him of his younger brother when they were children. 

“Well, this is awkward. I’ve never told anybody about this without provocation… Do you know what a naga is?” She hesitated for a second, but nodded anyway. “Well, I am one.” 

Ash furrowed her eyebrows. “Those aren’t even real! Prove it!” 

Without missing a beat, Sano casually opened his mouth and stuck out his pitch-black tongue.

“I’m not a vampire.” He mused. “What, did you think my teeth were this sharp for no reason?”

Ash looked down at the floor with wide eyes, obviously contemplating her life decisions. Sano snickered, turning towards the exit door. As he left, he took one last look at his victim. She was watching him, as she always did. A genuine smile graced her formerly somber face as she waved him goodbye. 

Humans are strange, he thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HOO BOY looks like our MC is a little kooky huh guys


	3. I Love You (Prelude to Tragedy)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, the smut train has arrived! If you look to your left, you'll see Ash's rapid descent into Stockholm Syndrome :D

When she woke again, her body was soaked in sweat. The air was sticky and it was hard to breathe. She sat up shakily, taking long, heaving breaths through her mouth. Sano appeared from his usual place in the darkness, but this time, a blue flame encompassed his hand. Ash gasped and jumped back.

“You aren't giving up on me already, are you?” Sano teased. “We've only just begun. Can you handle a little heat?” He inched forward, leaving a sickening feeling of dread deep within her stomach. 

“You can't break me!” Ash hissed. “I won't give you the satisfaction of seeing me cry again. Do what you will.” Sano grinned maniacally and grabbed her arm, forcing her closer to him. She let out a shrill scream as he ran his burning hand along her side, leaving burnt, bleeding skin in its wake. 

“Come on, Ash.” He pressed on, his voice taking on a strange giddiness. “Break down for me.” 

She ground her teeth in an attempt to stifle another scream. He raked the flame down her side, eliciting a moan from his patient. He laughed menacingly, grabbing her hip as a last resort. Unable to handle any more, Ash felt her body begin to shut down. 

“Sano..” She breathed. He looked up at her just in time to see her fall limp onto the surface below her. The doctor took his hand away from her skin, satisfied with her endurance. She was learning. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When the red-headed woman regained consciousness, she immediately noticed Sano working at his desk. 

“Fire, huh?” She rasped, struggling to sit herself up on her elbows. Her skin ached to the point where it was almost numb. He shifted his gaze to her, and she couldn't help but wonder if she saw a spark of happiness in his eye. Was he glad to see her? For whatever reason, the thought made her heart twist into a knot. 

“I have salve, if you'd like. Those burns look awfully hellish. I'll put it on for you.”

She thought for a moment, tempted to refuse. The burns hurt terribly, though, and she was kind of a wuss about pain. Swallowing her pride, she nodded thankfully. He grabbed a tube from his medical tray, and motioned for her to turn onto her good side. She closed her eyes and relished in the feeling of the cool, thick salve as he gently rubbed it into her burns. When he moved down to the freshest burn, she couldn't help but moan at the feeling of his hands on her tender, charred skin. He quickly pulled away from her, and she whined at the sudden loss of his skin on hers. 

“Where are you going so suddenly?” Ash complained, watching him hurriedly dispose of the gloves he'd been wearing. 

“Y-you're fine now! Go back to sleep or something!” Sano scolded, his voice notably higher than usual. Ash squinted at him as he skittered back to his desk. She sighed and laid on her stomach with her head in her hands, allowing herself to dissociate.

She wondered if she'd ever leave. Would Sano ever let her go? Or was she truly stuck on this goddamn table for the rest of her life? You never think it'll happen to you. You hear about all these people getting kidnapped and you think you're smarter, you're stronger, you're lucky. But you aren't. She was lucky, however, to have been kidnapped by someone who cares about her at least a little bit, though. It could be so much worse. She was grateful that he wouldn't rape her. She was grateful that he fed her and gave her breaks from her restraints. She was grateful that he medicated her properly. Being here wasn't too bad, she thought. He was beautiful. She enjoyed his company. He treated her like a human being… Not many people in her normal life did that. 

Looking back up at him, she couldn't ignore the way that, every time he caught her eye, her heart shoved its way into her throat, threatening to spill out onto the floor below. Her stomach clenched, and she felt the same strange, comforting sickness that she felt sometimes when she loved people she really, really shouldn't. The thought scared her. She didn't want to admit it, she didn't want to think about it, she didn't want to acknowledge it. But oh, she did, she very much did. It made her dizzy and nauseous and angry and it felt like love, so she had to act on it. She had to have him. She was his and she couldn't be happy until he was hers, too. 

When she came back down to reality, she found Sano with his head laid on his desk. Cautiously, as to not startle him, Ash slid from her table and crept over to him. Her heart pounded in her head, giving the feeling that it would break out of her rib cage. He was so beautiful. So vulnerable. She leaned down and looked closer, but the sight of his face only left her aching for more. She had to be closer. She had to be against him. As gently as she possibly could, she slipped into his lap, the feeling of her bare body against his lab coat sending a violent shiver down her spine. 

Sano jerked away from her touch, obviously startled considering he'd been asleep. 

“What are you doing?!” He shrilled, staring at her with wide eyes. Ash couldn't help but smile, sighing dreamily. 

“You didn't have to help me, Sano.” She cooed, running her hands beneath his lab coat and over his chest. “You could have let me be miserable. You could have let my dog die.” She began to slowly unbutton his shirt. “You could have let me deal with the burns you gave me on my own… But you did none of that.” Her hands drug across his cold flesh. “You medicated me. You send your brother to care for my dog, and give me pictures for proof. You even rubbed salve on my wounds instead of leaving me to do it on my own.” She leaned forward and nipped his earlobe. “There's no way you'd go through all that trouble if you didn't care, Sano… You've helped me out so much,” She rolled her hips against his. “Why don't you let me help you?”

Sano stared at her with wide eyes, obviously taken aback. He swallowed thickly, finally letting his gaze run down her body. Ash giggled happily, giving him a peck on the cheek. 

“How about you sit and watch for once, hon?” She purred, sliding down onto her knees in front of him. She pulled the fly of his jeans open and tugged them down, causing his hard cock to hit up against his stomach. 

“You're definitely thicker than what I'm used to..” She cooed, looking up at him innocently. “But I'm not one to back down from a challenge.” 

Using one hand to hold his cock steady and the other to gently tease around the base, she lapped up the precum that had dripped down his length. Sano exhaled slowly, allowing his eyes to flutter shut. She took the head into her mouth, flicking her tongue across the underside. He dug his nails into the chair, letting out a primal grunt. Ash looked up just in time to see him yank off his belt. In one swift motion, he had the belt looped around her neck, and had begun to tug her head up and down with it. Ash squealed and gripped his thighs, trying her best not to choke on his length each time it impaled her throat. She was nowhere near used to giving head like this, but she was desperate for his approval. As her head was forced up and down his dick, she couldn't help but gag, coating him in her spit.

‘This isn't enough.’ She thought, trying her best to swirl her tongue and moan even though she was being choked out. She wanted him. All of him. She wanted their bodies to mesh together and their sweat to mix and she wanted, more than anything she'd ever wanted, for him to touch her. 

Forcing against his hand, Ash pulled his cock from her mouth, hurrying to catch her breath before he could protest. 

“S-Sano,” she wheezed, pulling herself up enough so that her upper half was in his lap. “I need you to fuck me. Please, god, I need you--” She was cut off by him picking her up, much to her surprise, and throwing her onto his desk. 

“Careful what you wish for.” Sano growled, shoving his entire length into her at once. She gasped, wrapping her limbs around him. He was undoubtedly thicker than anything she'd taken before. She moaned as he fucked her relentlessly, desperate for more. She needed him to want her. He had to ache like she did. 

“Harder!” Ash cried, burying her face into his neck. Sano let out a low, animalistic growl, bearing down on her to angle himself just right. She screamed, crying out for him, encouraging him to take her.

“I want it, Sano, I want all of it! Use me like a toy, take all your frustration out on me!” Tears fell down her cheeks as he fucked her, hitting exactly where he needed to with every thrust. She tried to tell him that she was gonna cum, but could only babble and gasp and cry for him. Her head hit hard against the desk as she came, her body trembling violently as her cum splattered against his thighs. Sano bit down hard on the nape of her neck, careful not to inject her with his venom. Ash let out a weak, pained shriek as he pierced her skin. 

“You're mine” He snarled, putting his forehead against hers. “Look at me!” Her bright blue eyes stared into his. He put a hand around her throat. “Nobody's ever gonna take you from me, are they? I claimed you, you're mine, you're all mine--” His nails dug into the wood below them as he came deep inside of her, coating her walls with his seed. 

They sat like that for awhile, trying to catch their breath. Ash leaned her head against his chest, listening carefully to his rapid heart rate. It slowed as they laid still, lulling her into a sleepy trance. She barely even noticed when he picked her up and carried her back to her table. The sound of her shackles being locked woke her. Looking up, she noticed he'd laid his lab coat on her. Warmth filled her heart again, and she gladly held her other arm out for him to restrain. He began to walk away, but she couldn't let him leave just yet. 

“W-wait!” She whimpered. Sano turned back to her, looking concerned. Ash motioned for him to come closer. She gingerly pulled him against her again. They locked eyes for a moment, and Ash brought him into a slow, deep kiss. He seemed confused, but eagerly reciprocated, allowing her to lightly suck on his bottom lip. She brushed his hair from his face as they pulled away, only to be shocked by the sight of his other eye. It was bright blue, compared to his other gray one. 

“Sano..” She breathed, cupping his cheek with her other hand. “You have beautiful eyes…” He chuckled, pulling away from her grasp. 

“Good night, Ashtyn.” He said. “You know where your tranquilizer is, should you need it.” 

“Good night, Sano.” Ash said, trying to sound perky despite her voice breaking. That iron door shutting had never broken her heart quite like it did tonight. 

“I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if u look really close you can almost tell that this is a BTD fan fiction and not just my dumb fantasy land


	4. The Foreboding Sense of Impending Happiness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You joined Sano in his studies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WE DID IT Y'ALL, ELETRICPUKE LIKED ALL OF MY CHAPTERS ON TUMBLR. I can die happy now.

She practically leapt from her table when he walked in the next morning. He turned to face her, but stopped when he noticed she was awake. 

“I don't think I've ever walked in here with you already being awake.” Sano remarked, the slightest hint of a smile playing on his lips. Ash looked down at her feet. 

“I've been awake for awhile now. I slept well, but only because of the tranquilizer. I had a lot on my mind last night…” She looked up at him sadly, hoping he'd ask why she was thinking so much so she could blow it off like it was nothing even though it was, very much, something. Instead he simply nodded and set the small bag he had been carrying on the floor. 

“I was thinking a lot too last night, Ashtyn.” He began, kneeling down and unzipping the bag. She noticed the sound of metal scraping together from inside. “I've never… Done anything like we did last night, with any of my patients.”

“You've never fucked any of your victims?” She teased. He glared up at her over the frame of his glasses. 

“No, I haven't.. You're special to me, Ashtyn. You're very special.” He pulled a long metal instrument from the bag, causing Ash’s smile to fade. “I couldn't help but notice the tattoo on your collarbone.” He continued, examining the device. “I figured you wouldn't mind me giving you another one, of sorts.” 

Ash felt her blood run cold. What exactly was he planning on doing? He got up and removed her restraints before nodding for her to get off the table. Without warning, he shoved her upper half face-first onto the cold metal surface, eliciting a confused squeal from her. 

“I had this made just for you this morning, so I should hope you appreciate it. Hold still. This is going to be so much worse for you if you don't, in more ways than one.” She heard what sounded like a flame being started, and a blue light illuminated the room. Ash cringed, fearing the worst after their little fireplay season yesterday. The flame burned for another minute or so, and she finally figured out what he was planning.

“Sano!” She gasped, looking back at him. Sure enough, he stood behind her holding a glowing red branding iron in his hand. He squinted disapprovingly at her.

“Turn back around and keep still.” He growled, shoving the iron a little too close to her face. She quickly obeyed, squeezing her eyes shut. The part of her back right above her ass felt oddly cold for a second, until she heard a familiar sizzling noise. Her whole body went into shock for a moment, even after he had taken the instrument away from her ruined skin. She couldn't help but cry out, tears spilling over onto her face. He quickly poured water onto her fresh wound. 

“You did good.” Sano assured her, using his free hand to rub her shoulder. “Stay here for just another minute.” She laid against the table, still a sobbing, trembling mess. She was tired of pain. She was sick to death of hurting. But she had to do it for him. She had to make him happy. His touch comforted her once again, only this time his fingers were covered in the same salve he had put on her during their last little session. Her body relaxed beneath him. He murmured something to himself in that language him and his brother spoke. It sounded like Japanese, she thought. Makes sense. 

Her heart sank when she heard him taking his gloves off. 

“I'm going to leave you for a while. I'll be back before tonight, I promise you that. I have plans for you, angel.” Sano cooed, running a finger down the unharmed part of her spine. “Get some rest. You'll need it. And don't you dare look at my work just yet, alright? It needs some time to heal up before it looks pretty enough for you to see.” She gingerly lifted herself back onto the table, wincing in pain the whole time. A rare look of sympathy crossed his face for just a second. “I know it hurts. Try not to move too much, and if you do, move slowly. Your skin might tear and ruin the print.” 

Ash wiped the tears from her dull face. “What did you put into my skin?” She asked, finding herself rather sleepy after being up for so long and the stress of being burned again. 

“Don't worry about that just yet. I want it to be a surprise… I've got a lot more surprises coming for you, too.” The sudden fear in her eyes made him laugh, which both shocked and pleased her. “They'll be a lot less painful than what you just went through. Unless you act out, of course.” He gave her a warning look. “But you wouldn't do that.”

Her eyes followed him as he strode casually back to the door. Dozens of questions swam around in her head, but she found herself too weak to speak them. He looked back at her as he left. 

“I'm leaving you unchained by yourself right now. I'd suggest you don't start disappointing me now.” Ash’s eyes widened, and she looked at her hands. Sure enough, she had complete freedom over her body. He'd never let her off her restraints alone before! Her heart swelled again, and she found herself running her fingers over some of his medical tools. Did Sano really trust her this much, or was this some kind of test? Either way, she was determined not to let her doctor down. She wanted him to be happy with her. She needed him to love her. And if that meant sitting patiently while he did god knows what, not messing with anything just to prove that she would be perfect for him, so be it. 

She carefully laid herself out on the table, and drifted off to sleep. 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

When he came back to her, she had put one of his spare lab coats on, and she was boredly chipping away at the nail polish she somehow still had after all this time. She hopped off the table, minding what he'd said about the burn on her back. 

“Sorry I took a bit longer than expected.” Sano said, throwing the duffel bag he'd been carrying down. The loud thud it made startled her. 

“What have you got now?” Ash questioned, her eyes wide. Sano smiled, striding up to her. He tilted her chin up and pecked her lips. 

“You've been doing very well all this time.” He praised, keeping her chin in his hand. “I need to know exactly how dedicated you are, though.” With that, he made his way back to the bag on the floor. “I told you I had plans for you, angel.” He unzipped the bag and pulled out the contents. Her jaw dropped at the sight of a man, presumably unconscious. Sano looked up at her, a new light in his eyes. 

“Help me chain him up.” He commanded. Though her hands shook, she did as she was told, making sure the cuffs clicked perfectly into place. Enough to keep him down, but not enough to where he'd lose a foot. Sano pulled a knife from his medical tray, and looked at his new victim for a moment. 

“I've never found anyone like you. So I'm taking on a new patient.” Sano turned to her, holding the knife out for her to take. “I trust you fully. You've been through a lot, and I want to make it all up to you. I love you, Ashtyn. Will you join me in my studies?” 

Ash stood for a while, frozen in place. She felt so much at once. She was terrified by the thought of hurting other innocent humans, the way she'd been hurt. She knew she was terrible with blood and guts, and that what he'd done to her was probably child's play compared to what he would do to anyone who wouldn't comply… But he trusted her. He wanted her to be beside him forever. 

He loved her. 

“Of course I will!” Ash breathed, tears of joy pricking her eyes for the first time since he'd kidnapped her. Their patient had begun to stir. She took the knife, albeit nervously. “I'm not sure where to begin, though!” She admitted. 

The man stared at her with wide eyes. His first instinct was to try to get up, but he fell back onto the table that had been her home just moments ago. 

“Get away from me, you psycho bitch!” He screamed, writhing against his confines. Sano rolled his eyes. 

“You get used to that. Why don't you teach him a little respect, darling?” A grin spread across Ash’s face, and she took the knife into her right hand. 

“You can't be talking to me like that if you wanna survive down here, fucknut!” She hissed, slashing at the man's chest. He screamed, looking helplessly at the blood dripping down his torso. Sano chuckled. 

“That's enough fun, angel.” He purred, taking her hand into his. “Let's teach you how to make an incision, yes?” He glared up at their stunned patient. “And if somebody doesn't shut up, I'll show you how to sew up a mouth.”


	5. Bury me Deep Inside Your Heart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash takes on a new, very timid member of the family.

“You did well, doll.” Sano told her, gently scrubbing the dried blood from her soft face. She looked like a new person, he thought. When he'd taken her, she had an air of worry to her, like she was trying so hard to be something she wasn't. Before she'd warmed up to him, she was dull, hopeless, pathetic, even. But as he watched her now, entranced by the hot water running down her back and his skin on hers, she glowed. Her eyes, although tired, were bright. Her cheeks had taken on a natural rosiness, opposed to the fake one she'd painted on herself the day they met. Her skin looked more human than ever. Standing vulnerable in front of him, she looked more beautiful than ever. 

“I want you to have your own room.” He announced, gently turning her around so that she faced away from him. “Obviously you can't stay in the medical lab any more… Not that I want you to. There's a spare room between mine and Akira’s that you can have… I'm not ready to have you leave the house yet, but he'll bring your dog to you. I'd hate for you to not have her, if she means that much to you.” 

Ash sighed happily, practically melting beneath him as he rubbed shampoo into her thick hair. She couldn't remember a time where she'd been this happy. She couldn't remember a time where she'd been so in love. 

“I'm so glad, Sano.” She purred, leaning back against him. “I have missed my home life a bit, but I'm much more excited to be starting anew with you.” Sano gently kissed her neck, in the same place he'd bitten her however long ago. Neither of them bothered to keep track of days… Not that Ash could. He reached up to tilt the shower head in a way that would allow him to rinse her hair. 

“I know you need a lot of care after all you've been through.” He said. “I'll take you back to your house and let you pack up anything that you'll need, if you adjust well to the freedom I'm giving you.” She turned to give him a soft peck on the lips, but he pulled her to him before she could pull away, kissing her deeply. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

“Will this be alright for now?” Sano asked, watching his partner explore her new living quarters. 

“Of course! It's very nice.” She chirped. “But, ah… Do you have any clothes for me to wear? O-or can I have mine back?” She grinned sheepishly, her cheeks turning pink. Currently, all she had was an ill-fitting bath towel and one of his lab coats to cover her body with. Sano couldn't help but snicker. 

“That was my next surprise for you. Look in your closet, doll.” She gave him a surprised look, but nonetheless scampered over to her closet. Sure enough, there were a couple brand new outfits for her, including the one she had had on the day they'd met. 

“I'm surprised you got all my sizes right!” She exclaimed, turning over one of the bras he'd provided her with. “Thank you, love!” She threw her arms around his waist, holding him tightly. Sano patted her gently. 

“I'll give you your injections once a week back in the lab,” He explained. “And I figured you could handle taking your sleep aid on your own. All of that's in your desk. Do you need anything else? I was thinking of getting some sleep.”

Ash pulled away from him, a childish look of rejection in her eyes. 

“You don't want to sleep in here with me?” She asked sadly, putting a hand on his chest. He cocked an eyebrow at her. 

“I totally forgot that that was a thing humans do..” He mumbled, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “I suppose it wouldn't hurt. I'll probably be hogging the blankets, though, considering you'll probably have the fan on all night.”

Ash beamed up at him, her heart racing. She motioned for him to come in, shutting and locking the door behind him. 

“I'm gonna put on some clothes before we get to sleep.” She giggled. “I've kinda missed them!”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Ashtyn!” Called a voice from downstairs. She looked up from where she had been carefully organizing her new clothes and stood, anticipating the sight of her dog. Sano had promised to reunite them today! As she scrambled down the short flight of stairs, she was met with her precious pet running around her ankles.

“Cece!” She squealed, picking up the little sausage dog in her arms. “I missed you so much baby girl, gimme kiss!” She giggled uncontrollably as the dog wriggled in her arms and covered her face in licks. “I’m so glad to have my little piggy back!” 

Sano coughed into his hand, causing Ash to finally look up at him. She practically dropped her poor dog when she saw what else he had with him.

“Who is THIS?” She gasped, gingerly placing Cece on the ground. Beside Sano stood a very timid looking boy with fluffy ginger hair and, oddly enough, fox ears and a tail. The boy was staring at the ground bitterly, his hands firmly in his pockets.

“This is Ren.” Sano sighed, nodding towards the boy. “Your friend Nac rescued him from somebody’s house and decided that, since your house was unoccupied, he could stay there with your dog for shelter…” 

“B-but now what do I do?” Ren piped up finally, tears filling up his orange eyes. “I have nowhere to go!”

Sano rolled his eyes. “I was going to see if you wouldn’t possibly mind taking on two pets… I’ve been made aware that Ren here is quite a handful,” he cast a glare to the younger one next to him. “But, I figured you would enjoy someone to talk to, seeing as me and Akira are working more often than not.”

Ren looked at Ash with big, glassy eyes, as if pleading her to take him under her care. He looked helpless. He was covered in scars, and there was no way he stood more than 5’0”. Though he had claws, he probably couldn’t fend for himself if he had no home.

“Of course I’ll take care of you, honey!” She cooed, trying to approach him delicately. He stared at her outstretched hand for a moment, even leaning down to sniff it. “Come on, sweet boy. I can see your old home wasn’t good to you. You just want a little love, don’t you?” Ren looked at her again, his eyes wide. His lower lip trembled a bit. Clearly what she'd said hit close to home. 

“That's right..” He sniffed, allowing her to pull him into a hug. “How did you know?”

Ash kissed the top of his head. “I’m good at reading people, cutie.” She purred, running her fingers through his thick hair. “What’s this around your neck?”

“Something he had to wear around his old house.” Sano replied, fishing a little remote out of his pocket and handing it to Ash. “I want you to have this on you at all times until I know he won’t do anything to harm you… And I say I, because you trust much too easily.” He smirked at her, earning a glare from his assistant. Ash looked down at her new project, who was staring at the remote in her hand with wide, terrified eyes.

“Don’t worry, Ren! I won’t use this on you!” She assured him. He looked relieved. Ash leaned down to get in his face. “Unless, of course, you do anything to hurt me, my love, or my dog. Then I’ll fry you like a fucking fish. Got it?” Ren nodded quickly, his ears flattening against his head. “Good boy! Follow me and we’ll set up some bedding for you and Cece!” Sano watched the three of them scamper happily upstairs, shaking his head.

“She’s a strange one.” He muttered to himself.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Are you excited?” Sano asked simply, looking at his partner. She was currently perched on the couch, looking expectantly out the window.

“Of course I am!” Ash chirped, pressing her forehead against the window. “I haven’t seen my best friend in weeks. That’s NEVER happened. I’m glad she’s not bringing Strade, though.” She grit her teeth. “I don’t even need to meet him to know that I hate him for what he’s done to Sarah and Ren.” Sano couldn’t help but smirk.

“Do you think she hates me for what I’ve done to you?” He asked smugly, looking out the window with her. Ash gasped and gave him a gentle shove.

“You haven’t done anything wrong to me, don’t say that!” She pouted. He was about to refute her statement when a small black car tore down the block and into the driveway. Ash screamed, causing Sano to jump back, and hauled ass towards the front door. Once he came down from his initial shock, Sano peeked out the window to observe the two women. Nac wasn’t even given a chance to get out of her car before Ash pulled her out and swung her around. Much to his amusement, both of the women screamed the entire time as they hugged, practically knocking each other over. 

After the two had settled down in the living room, Ash formally introduced Sano to Nac. 

“I know you have kinda already met, but I’m really glad that y’all can get to know each other for real now!” She chattered, wrapping her arms around one of Sano’s. The doctor nodded curtly.

“I suppose it’ll be nice to actually talk to you without you threatening me in the event I hurt your best friend.” He joked, earning a sarcastic smirk from Nac.

“Yeah, it’s great knowing that you didn’t kill the light of my life!” She yanked Ash back towards her. “I think we’ll get along just fine now. Anyway, it’s been fun, but me and this one have some catching up to do.” The dark-haired woman squeezed Ash’s cheeks together. “What were you thinking, hon? The mall? A restaurant?”

Panic flashed in Sano’s eyes. “Hold on a second.” He growled, putting a firm hand on Ash’s shoulder. “I already explained to you that Ashtyn isn’t allowed to leave the house without me. For all I know, you could have every intention to take her away from me.” He glared down at Nac, who simply rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, I know, but I figured meeting me would get the GIANT STICK out of your ass.” She huffed, crossing her arms. “You’ll just have to come with us, cuz I’m taking my daughter out and buying her what she needs whether you like it or not.” Nac turned around on her heel and started for the door. “And I hope you’re cool with us talking about the mad dick we’ve been getting, cuz I can tell that y’all have been getting down as much as I have!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you squint really hard you can see my sad attempts at making Sano in-character


	6. Hearts at War

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash finally meets her best friend's boyfriend, Strade. Things go very well.

The little cafe that Nac had picked out was… Unintimidating, to say the least.

She felt safe there. She always felt safe around Sano, but the smell of coffee hanging heavily in the air and the soft sounds of ambient music made her feel serene. Content, even. It was hard for her to feel content when she wasn’t locked in his arms, these days.

A single barista strode around behind the counter, cleaning what needed to be cleaned, filling what machines were running low. She seemed relaxed, as if she knew that she didn’t need to expect much business today. Nobody else was in the cafe but them, and soon to be Nac and her boyfriend. It was actually really nice, especially for Sano. He didn’t take well to crowded places. 

“What do you think you’re gonna get?” Ash piped up, trying to break the comfortable silence. Sano looked up from his phone and at her, keeping up his perpetual, vaguely interested facade. 

“Probably just a latte.” Sano replied, keeping his voice low to match their surroundings. Ash forced a smile. Sometimes it was hard to keep a conversation with him.

“I like cold brew coffee better.” She continued, barely keeping his interest. “I just can’t do hot drinks. I dunno why.” 

He nodded, trying to give her at least a little validation. Before they could become encompassed by the silence once more, the bell attached to the front door rang. They turned their attention to the entrance, immediately met with the gaze of the couple that they had been expecting. Sano quickly looked them both up and down. Nac was notably shorter than the man. The height difference appeared to be the same between her and Ash. She wore, as per usual, an outlandish, all black outfit with plenty of flashy accessories. Strade looked about the same, except much cleaner. Sano chuckled, figuring that Nac had probably been forcing him to actually keep up with a regular bathing regimen. He began to turn back to his partner, but jumped a little in his seat when she found that she was giving the man on her best friend's arm a serious dose of Murder Eyes™.

“Ashtyn!” He scolded, waving a hand in front of her face in an attempt to break her icy cold glare. She didn't flinch, continuing to stare Strade down even as Nac ran up to give her a big hug. They began to chatter about something, but Sano decided to tune them out and turn his attention to the large man sitting next to him. 

“It's been awhile, Strade.” He said courteously, nodding his greetings. One of the brunet’s signature grins spread across his face. 

“It sure has, buddy!” Strade chided, his voice as loud and obnoxious as ever as he gave Sano a friendly punch on the arm. “I take it you'll be seeing a lot more of me now! Gives us plenty of time to catch up. Still doing the whole ‘doctor’ thing?” He asked, roughly elbowing the smaller man in the ribs on the emphasized word. 

“As always.” Sano replied coolly, taking a sip of his coffee. “You still doing the ‘mechanic’ thing?” 

This earned a hearty laugh from his old friend. 

“I sure am! I've even got this one to help me now!” He nodded over at Nac, who was obviously in the middle of a riveting conversation with Ash, considering her hands were wildly gesturing as she spoke. “Right, kitten?” 

Nac perked up and looked over at him. “Huh? Oh, yeah! That's right, master!” She chirped obediently, earning a chuckle of approval from Strade. Ash looked at him again, her eyes burning into the deepest recesses of his soul. 

“What's with your Fräulein over there?” Strade laughed, jerking his thumb in Ash's direction. “She's been givin’ me the death stare since I walked in!” 

Sano faked a quick smile. “It's hard to get on her good side. Especially when it comes to your pet. They're awfully close, you kn-”

“So, Strade.” Ash interrupted, resting her chin in her hands and staring directly at the unsuspecting man sitting diagonally from her. “Do you want to know how Ren is? I think you want to know how Ren is. Do you also want to explain the scars on my baby's legs? Because I think that's a thing you need to explain.”

The room went dead silent for a moment. Nac and Sano’s gazed flicked wildly from each other, to Ash, to Strade. Both of their partners had… Issues with rage, so clearly, there was no plausible way for this to NOT end in them getting banned from this poor cafe for life. Strade managed to keep an amused smile plastered on his face, but his eyes bore right back into Ash’s. She stared right back at him, tapping her fingers expectantly on her cheek, one eyebrow cocked impatiently at him. Suddenly, Strade burst into a fit of laughter, causing Nac and Sano to jump. Ash continued to stare boredly at him, now leaning back and crossing her arms. 

“Oh, you're a cheeky one! I can see why my leibeling likes you so much!” He laughed. “Well, I can assure you that the scars were from cuts that I made to make your precious happy. She likes pain quite a bit, you know what I mean, nadelkissen?” He took a long sip of the black coffee that the waitress had brought them. “As for Ren, I do think about him a lot. But Nac promises me that he's in great hands with you, so I'm not worried! I can tell you're very protective over the ones you love. So am I! I guess it's a German thing.” 

Ash’s eyebrows raised. 

“How do you know I'm German? I don't have an accent.” She spat. Strade chuckled darkly. 

“I can read people very easily, rote Haare.” He disclosed, his voice low and intimidating. Ash didn't break her gaze from his. “I can tell you possess the same quality.. To an extent. We're not that different wouldn't you say, Prinzessin?” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, mimicking Ash's pose. “I'll grow on ya. I always do. Let's just forget about Ren for a while, okay?” Strade chided, giving the redhead a convincing smile. She blinked. “I promise I'm doing better. Your sister is making me a better person every day!” He intertwined his fingers with Nac’s from across the table, eliciting bubbly giggles from his partner. 

“It's true, Ashy!” Nac chirped, tenderly bonking her head against her best friend’s. Ash sighed deeply. 

“Whatever.” She hissed, sinking down into her chair. “As long as you're happy…” She stood up abruptly, jabbing a finger into Strade’s chest. He smiled nonchalantly. “If I ever even SUSPECT that you're doing anything to hurt my pride and joy, I swear on all that is unholy, I will fucking rip your balls right off and shove them so far up your ass that your intestines take turns juggling them. Got it, buddy?” She snarled, planting her free hand firmly on the table with a bang.

“And same to you, schlechte Laune.” Strade said calmly. “Now, why don't you let me and your little love doctor get back to it? It's been a hot minute since I've seen this one.” He swiveled to the side to face Sano, striking up a conversation about a “customer” Nac brought him. 

“Oh yeah, I wanted to tell you that!” Nac chattered, turning Ash’s attention back to her. They sat at the cafe for another hour or so, talking amongst themselves or in a group. Eventually, Ash announced that they had to leave, as her afternoon class was starting soon. They parted ways, Ash and Nac taking a little too long to say goodbye. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------  
“I guess I understand why she doesn't like me.” Strade admitted. “But she'll get over it, won't she?”

Nac chewed her lip. “She's not the type to fully get over things..” She began. “But yeah, she'll warm up to you. You've just gotta show her that you're doing better.”

Strade quirked a brow. 

“I'm gonna have to think about how to do that. I don't care too much, to be honest, but I know it means a lot to you. I don't want to hate the most important person in your life. That'll cause all kinds of problems!” Nac smiled weakly. 

“I appreciate the effort. It means a lot that you care about me that much.” Strade put a hand on her knee, patting it gently. 

“You know I do, pet.” 

“I know, master. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------

“I just don't like him.” Ash huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Sano sighed, looking at her from his place in the driver's seat of his car. 

“Give him a chance, Ashtyn. I know you're protective over Sarah and Ren, but you two not liking each other will only cause a rift in you and your sister's relationship. It doesn't matter how close you two are, it'll cause problems.”

Ash opened her mouth to defend herself, but stopped when she realized he was probably right. 

“...I guess.” She grumbled. “I just… I look at him and I see the scars on Ren’s skin.” She'd begun to tear up. “I see the fear in his eyes every time he does something wrong. I know exactly how he feels and it's not fun. It's not fun living with someone who you're terrified of..” She put a hand over her eyes, tears falling down her reddened cheeks. 

“I know it's hard. But you have to do it for her. We don't have to let him in the house. It'll only be bad for Ren, and clearly for you.” Sano sighed, pulling into the driveway of their home. “Don't let him see you cry, alright? Be strong for him. He needs you more than he's ever needed anyone before.” 

She looked down at her lap for a moment, unsure of what to do. Hesitantly, she slid out of the car, looking up at the window leading to her bedroom. Ren was peeking out, his tail wagging excitedly. 

She smiled back at him. 

She would do it for him. She would do it for Sarah. 

She would do it for herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hahaha things actually went very bad


	7. In Venere Veritas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (THIS CHAPTER IS LITERALLY JUST SMUT. PROCEED WITH CAUTION.)  
> In this chapter, Ash teaches Sano a new emotion.   
> Jealousy.

“Ren!” Ash hissed, swiping her missing shoe from the fox’s mouth. “I just bought you brand-new chew toy, why do you insist on fucking up my shoes?” He swished his tail angrily, pouting at his owner.

“The toys you got me aren’t worn enough!” He whined, his ears flattening against his head. “I like your shoes because I already chewed them up!”

Ash stared at him. “You have to  _ chew the toy _ to get it broken in, Ren!” She spat, whacking him on the nose with her shoe. “Don’t let me catch you fucking up any of my stuff again, got it? Just because I haven’t used your shock collar yet doesn’t mean I’m afraid to start!” She threw one of his toys into his bed with him and stormed out of the room, closely followed by her dog. It occurred to her that she had yet to see her partner that morning. Though it was out of her comfort zone, she walked timidly up to his door, and quietly knocked. He stirred inside for a moment. It sounded like he was moving some things. Eventually, he cracked open the door, only to slide out and shut it behind him.

“What is it, angel?” Sano asked, his voice still heavy with sleep. Ash looked sadly down at her feet.

“How come you never let me into your room?” She inquired, putting her hands together behind her back. Sano chuckled and pecked her cheek.

“You’re a curious one.” He sighed, turning her away from his door and towards the one to the medical lab. “I’m glad you came to see me, though. How are you feeling today? I had something in mind for you.” He began to lead her towards the heavy iron door, but she jumped back in alarm.

“H-hold on now!” She fretted, pressing herself up against the opposite wall, her eyes wide with fear. “What do you mean? Why do I have to go back there? I thought I was doing good!” She babbled, cowering from him. “I even helped you finish off our last patient! I-I did good!”

“Calm down.” Sano scolded, grabbing her by the arm. “You have been doing good. I don’t have anything painful in store for you. Quite the opposite, actually… Stop crying!” He huffed, throwing her over his shoulder. “God, you humans overreact to everything. I promise you’ll love what I’ve got for you, okay? Stop panicking. I’m only showing you something. It’ll just be a minute.” Ash allowed her body to relax, trying to control her breathing. She was glad that he was rewarding her for all of her dedication and hard work, but it was odd that he wouldn’t tell her exactly what was going on.

He shut the door behind them, but didn’t lock it, which relaxed her. As carefully as he could, he set her down and motioned for her to follow him. They walked over to a corner of the room by the examination table, where an open box laid. Ash looked up at him quizzically, and he nodded for her to look inside. She did so, and inside were what appeared to be the same little wires he’d attached to her head when he examined her brain activity.

“What are we doing with these again?” She puzzled, turning them over in her hands.

“Bring the box into your room.” Sano replied shortly, avoiding her question. Though she was confused, she obeyed. He carried his laptop back to her room with them, which only furthered her confusion. He took a seat at her desk, quickly plugging in his computer and turning back to face her.    


"Sit. On the bed.” He commanded. She did so without a thought, waiting for further instruction. Sano got up, gingerly placing his computer on the desk, and began hooking the nodes up to her scalp again, mumbling to himself about how annoying her thick hair was the whole time.

“What’s this all about, Sano? Do I need another mental inventory? I thought I’ve been acting fine..” Ash queried, nervously tapping her fingers together.

“You have been.” Sano reiterated, raising an eyebrow at her. “I told you, I’m going to give you something in return for all you’ve been doing for me.” He finished clicking the last wire into place, before running the cord strategically to his laptop. “And the best part is, I’ll be able to solve some more of my curiosities all the while.” Ash blinked stupidly at him, still totally lost. He typed some things into his computer for a few minutes, probably trying to start up the program that would give him the readings he was looking for. A little beep echoed throughout the room, and a smile of satisfaction spread across his face. He stood up, setting his computer back on the desk.

“I suppose now I can explain exactly what’s going on.” Sano began, striding over to her and tilting her chin up so that she had no choice but to look at him. “I thought about some things last night. I dug up some new theories, things I wanted to figure out.”

“... You got ideas for new experiments while we were having sex?” Ash echoed, raising her eyebrows at him. He snickered.

“I suppose so, yeah. Sounds strange when you put it that bluntly, though. Anyway.” Sano took a seat next to her on the bed, his hand finding a place on her thigh. “I want to see exactly what your brain looks like while you’re in your most ecstatic state. I want to see the differences in your mental activity when you’re going through different types of agony. I want to watch your body react, and your mind as well.” He tapped the wires that were attached to her head. “And these will let me do just that!” 

Ash’s cheeks burned. “Well, that sounds great.. But how are you gonna watch my readings if we’re having sex?” She giggled, looking away in embarrassment. Sano laughed, almost coldly, and stood up.

“I’m not going to be participating, hon.” He chuckled, folding his arms and making his way to the door. “I’m simply going to be controlling what goes on, and observing the links between your inner and outer reactions.” Before she could question him, he leaned out the door. “REN!” He barked. “We’re ready for you.” 

Ash stared at him with wide eyes. He was really expecting Ren to fuck her while he watched? Ren was so shy! She swallowed thickly as her pet entered the room, staring at the floor with bright red cheeks.

“Ren, honey,” she breathed, causing him to cautiously look up at her. “Do you actually want this? Nobody’s going to be mad if you don’t. Tell us if you’re not comfortable, okay?”

“N-no, it’s not like that!” Ren stammered, waving his hands. “I do want this! I’m the one that volunteered! S-Sano was gonna ask Akira, but I said I’d do it, because you seem more comfortable with me!” Ash smiled sweetly at him.

“Well, that is true. Thank you for taking me into consideration like that, darling.” She purred, sliding over on the bed to give him room to sit down. Still looking shyly at the ground, Ren walked over to the bed and sat somewhat close to her.

“Would you mind deactivating his collar for now, doll?” Sano advised. “It’s going to get in the way. I have a plan should he act out..” He cast his eyes to a nail gun perched inconspicuously on Ash’s desk. Ren gulped.

Ash fumbled with the remote for a second before hitting a small, dark blue button. The heavy metal collar fell from Ren’s neck, and he caught it in his hands with a relieved sigh. Sano took his place in her desk chair again, doing a quick check to make sure he was still getting Ash’s readings. 

“I’d like you to begin with the toy you picked out for her.” Sano began, looking at the two on the bed. “It wouldn’t be smart to start out with anything too rough.” Ren nodded, obediently producing a pastel pink vibrator from his pocket. Ash scanned the item. It was a simple vibe, almost like the one she'd had at home, except this was had a remote attached to it. Ren nodded for her to get up on the bed, and she did so, allowing him to slide her shorts and underwear off while she took care of her T-shirt. 

Ren grabbed a bottle of lube from his other pocket and opened it, tilting the bottle and rotating the toy in his hand so it could get a good coating of the thick liquid. He looked up at her, obviously asking for approval, and she nodded. 

Using one hand to spread her lips open, Ren rubbed the object teasingly around her clit, setting the vibrations to their lowest possible setting. Ash sighed contently and leaned back into her pillows, letting her body relax. The fox boy began to slowly run the tip of the softly buzzing toy against her clit. He was already getting a little hard, but tried to focus on the task at hand, fearing what Sano might do if he did anything unprovoked. He turned the strength of the vibrations up a couple notches, earning a little noise of pleasure from his owner. 

“See what happens when you turn it all the way up.” Sano commanded, peering at them over the frame of his glasses. Ren obliged, turning the dial up as high as it would go. Ash let out a surprised moan, her back arching into his touch. Ren licked his lips and ground the vibrator up against her clit, eager to see her squirm. She gripped the sheets and bucked against the toy, her body shaking from the overstimulation. A devious grin appeared on Ren’s face as he rubbed her harder. He had begun to pant, and it was very apparent that he was turned on. Ash writhed beneath him, a moaning, quivering mess. 

“Ren!” She groaned, clutching the sheets with shaking hands. His orange eyes widened, the sound of his name on her lips dragging something out of him that he hadn't felt in a while. He used his free hand to grip her throat tightly, eliciting a surprised gasp from the one beneath him. 

“Cum for me.” He growled, his fur standing on end. “Do it!” Ash jerked her head back and dug her nails into his back, her hung open mouth speaking wordless, desperate pleas as she came hard against his hand. Ren smiled devilishly, keeping the toy pressed up against her until she fell back into the bed, breathing heavily. He looked back at Sano, who was focused on whatever was on his computer screen.

“What next?” He asked, sounding a little too eager. The doctor snickered in amusement, eyeing Ren from his place at the desk. 

“Try to calm yourself down, for one.” Sano replied, leaning back in his chair. “I know that’s hard, you being a fox and all, but we aren’t going to get accurate results if we don’t give her time to recuperate.” Ren whined quietly, shifting around on the bed in a poor attempt to get comfortable. He huffed dramatically, crossing his legs.

“What’s wrong, honey bunch?” Ash giggled, propping herself up on her elbows. “Never had to sit still and deal with blue balls like a good boy before?” The smaller boy shot her a dirty look. She began scratching behind his ears empathetically, but that only made his situation worse. He panted heavily, kicking his leg in time with her scratches. 

“Y-you know my ears are se-AH-sensitive!” He moaned, pushing his head against her hand. Ash smiled sweetly at him.

“You mean  _ these _ , sweet pea?” She purred, climbing into his lap.

“ASH NO--” Ren cut himself off when a loud, desperate moan flew from his throat. Ash rubbed his ears, slowly but enough to turn his cock into a twitching, precum-leaking mess inside his shorts. 

“Is it that good, love?” She whispered, her lips just close enough to his ears to make him shudder. He gripped her shoulders suddenly, shoving her down into the mattress. 

“Aren’t you a feisty boy?” Ash breathed, watching as he hastily pulled his cock free from its confines. Ren grabbed her legs and pushed her knees to her chest, momentarily knocking the air out of her.

“ _ Stay. _ ” He growled, snatching the lube from off of her nightstand and making quick work of coating his throbbing cock. A low, animalistic noise came from his throat as he sank deep into her, his claws raking down her shoulders. 

“You’re bigger than I expected, sweetie.” Ash said, still a little breathless. Ren hooked her legs under his arms and began pumping his cock in and out of her tight hole, groaning loudly at the feeling of her walls around him. He leaned down closer to her, giving him better access and allowing him to fill her completely. Ash cried out as he began to quicken his pace, filling the room with the sound of his skin hitting against hers. 

“Don't hold back, Ren” She choked out, placing a shaking hand on his cheek. “I want you to ruin me, got it? I need you to fucking  _ wreck _ me--” A strangled scream flew from her throat as the ginger-haired boy slammed his hips into hers, letting out a primal groan and fucking her as fast as he could. He grabbed her hair and roughly pulled her face up to his. 

“Tell me you love me.” Ren growled. “DO IT!”

“I-I love you, Ren! I love the way you feel inside me and I need it so badly  _ PLEASE don't stop _ !” Ash gushed, her body shaking beneath him. Ren moaned, trying his best not to cum just yet. He needed to feel her, to watch her completely fall apart around him. 

“Let me feel you cum all over my dick, mistress” He begged, “I want to hear you scream for me!”

Ash had begun to babble incoherently, squirming and arching her back beneath him.

“ _ Ren _ ” She managed to cry out, tears of overwhelming pleasure falling from her eyes. She screamed for him one last time, her nails raking down his back and leaving bloody trails in their wake as she came, covering his entire length and most of his lap in her fluids. With a noise somewhere between a bark and a scream, Ren spilled himself inside of her, leaving her cunt dripping with his cum. He nestled up against her, his head laying comfortably against her chest and his tail curled up around his body. Ash cradled him closer to her, planting soft kisses on his head. 

“You did so good, pet.” She murmured. “I'm proud of you for keeping your composure for as long as you did.” Ren’s eyes fluttered shut for only a moment. He found himself listening to her breathing, focusing on the rise and fall of her chest. He looked up at her slowly, his ears drooping a bit. The fox opened his mouth to say something, but reluctantly stopped himself when he remembered that Sano was still in the room.  He looked back at the doctor, silently wishing he'd leave. 

“Did you need something, Ren?” Sano asked, not bothering to look up from his laptop. He was typing now, probably taking notes. 

“No..” Ren muttered, putting his head back down onto Ash’s chest. He inhaled deeply, the lingering scent of her soap mixed with sweat and pheromones causing his brain to go into a fog. Without thinking, he began to knead his paws on her breasts, snuggling his head into the crook of her neck. 

“Ren!” Ash scolded, gently swatting at his paws. He whimpered apologetically, letting his claws retract.  

“Force of habit..” Ren grumbled, curling his tail up to his chin. “You smell nice.” 

“I think I might know something that'll satiate you, in that case.” Sano announced, smirking at the fox. Ren pricked his ears and looked at the doctor hopefully, suddenly glad that he was there. “Eat her out.” 

The doctor chuckled quietly to himself, enjoying the sight of his partner and her pet exchanging flustered looks. 

“...I'd like that.” Ren admitted quietly, looking shyly to the side. Ash’s cheeks burned bright red, but she nonetheless allowed him to slide down between her legs. He nudged himself close enough to where his lips gently brushed against her skin, still wet from their previous encounters. His head spun as he breathed her in, his tongue sliding tantalizingly slow up her slit. She reached down to tangle her fingers in his thick, ginger hair. 

Unable to control himself, Ren dipped his tongue into her folds, moaning at the taste of her wet cunt. Using his hands to gently spread her apart, he began teasing her labia, flicking his tongue back and forth along the flesh. Ash tugged him up slightly, directing his licks to a place where she could appreciate them a little bit more. More than happy to take the hint, Ren used the flat of his tongue to lick all around her clit. 

“Good boy..” Ash breathed, her grip on his hair tightening. Ren responded by letting his tongue flicker over her clit, causing her to buck her hips up, a gasp flying from her lips. Deciding to see just how hard he could make her cum, he slowly slid a finger in and out of her, letting it get slick with her fluids before angling it up against the front of her walls. Ash groaned, arching her back and gripping the sheets. Ren pushed his face further against her, crushing his tongue against her aching clit and quickly curling and uncurling his finger within her. She cried out in tragic, ecstatic agony, throwing her head back into the pillows. He pumped his finger as quickly as he could, watching her writhe and scream through heavy eyelids. 

“Ren!” She cried, her voice trembling. “D-don't stop!” She wrapped her legs around him, keeping his face planted firmly against her pussy. Ren noticed that she seemed much more desperate than she had before. Sweat glistened on her face and chest, and her cheeks were burning bright red. He hummed experimentally, sending little electric shocks through her body. She ground against his face as best as she could while she came. Ren spluttered, caught off guard by her gushing all over his mouth and chin, but obediently licked and fingered her until she fell back onto the pillows. 

He sat up, blushing at the feeling of her cum dripping down his neck. She looked completely spent, he thought, lying limply with her legs hanging open. He looked back at Sano, who was alternating  between staring wide-eyed at his laptop and at Ren, specifically. Ren raised his eyebrows, only to be met with the universal “shit, dude, that was actually really impressive” look. He got up slowly, rubbing his aching jaw. 

“I'm gonna get an ice pack.” The fox announced, wobbling to his feet. Sano nodded. 

“Make lunch, while you're at it?” The doctor requested, “I don't think Ash is gonna get up any time soon.” Ren grinned proudly, hobbling off to the kitchen. Sano stood up once he was far enough away, quietly shutting and locking the door. He turned back to his partner, clenching and unclenching his fists, and she began to stir. 

“Why’d ya lock th’ door?” Ash drawled sleepily, unable to look up at him. Sano glared at her, kicking off his shoes as he stalked towards her. 

“You put on a good show earlier.” He spat, cracking his knuckles. Ash’s head lolled to the side so she could look at him. 

“Whataya mean?” The genuine look of exhausted confusion on her face only made his blood boil more. 

“I never knew what you meant when you said you had trouble with jealousy, Ashtyn.” Sano growled, looming over her. “But I've learned a lot from you. I've learned what love feels like,” he grabbed her by the throat. “I've learned what it means to have someone to call your own,” he brought her face close to his. “And I've learned that I can be very,  _ very _ territorial.” he threw her face-down on the bed, earning a confused squeak from the woman. 

“I know you're tired, but I've been dealing with this for the past couple of hours now.” Sano tugged his hard cock from his jeans and rubbed it against her ass. “And I think it's only fair that I take back what's mine.” He shoved his entire length into her at once with a grunt, his hands pinning her down by the shoulders. 

“And what's this?” He chuckled, rubbing a finger along the healing burn on her back. “Whose name is this, Ashtyn?” 

“...Yours.” 

He brought his hand down hard on her ass, slamming his hips into hers. “I didn't catch that. Run that by me again?”

“Yours!” Ash mewled, “I-it’s your name because I belong to you! You claimed me, you have me, I'm all yours! I promise, Sano!” A satisfied grin graced his features. 

“You're so good at catching on!” He praised, grabbing her wrists and holding them behind her back. “Just for that, I'll make this easy on you.” He moved his dick in and out of her, using her wrists as leverage. A pleasured moan fell from his lips.

“Even after what Ren did to you, you're still tight as hell.” Sano purred, watching his length slam into her repeatedly. He didn't last much longer, as he'd been straining against the fly of his jeans for hours watching Ren please her over and over. He filled her up with a low groan, before letting her fall limply onto her bed. 

“Just lay like that for a minute.” Sano commanded. He knelt down and began to lick up the mess made of his, her, and Ren’s fluids from her thighs and slit. A happy sigh escaped her throat as his jet-black tongue cleaned her inside and out. He stood after a few minutes, wiping off his chin with the back of his hand. 

“You might wanna get up and get some water, doll.” Sano suggested, pulling his zipper back up. “And I think Ren should be about done with lunch by now… Come on, you can even wear my lab coat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh, SUPER fun factoid, this is actually supposed to be chapter 6! I wrote the last chapter yesterday and I guess I got so excited that I posted it. Good thing this chapter has no plot!


	8. Black No. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A songfic (those are still cool... right?) that ties in to the events of WLADE. Song is "Black No. 1" by Type O Negative, so of course, the lyrics belong to them.

_I went looking for trouble_   
_And boy_ _  
I found her…_

 

His eyes followed her as she strode to an empty barstool. She carried herself with a painfully fake confidence, he thought. Nobody but him watched her, yet she took each step with great care and grace, as if the entire crowd had turned her way the second she let herself in.

 

She would be tough, he told himself. But, letting his eyes fall over her mile-high legs and her carefully painted nails, he knew she would be worth it.

 

She looked at him.

 

Her eyes were blue.

 

 _She's in love with herself._   
_She likes the dark_   
_On her milk white neck._ _  
The Devil's mark._

The way she looked at him was… Entrancing.

She knew of the bond between them. She knew he was all hers. But he knew that she was his, as well. She loved it when people stared at the two deep puncture wounds on her neck. She always wore outfits just for him that allowed him to get an eyeful of his name, ugly scar tissue a disgrace compared to the rest of her soft flesh.

 

 _Little wolf skin boots_   
_And clove cigarettes._   
_An erotic funeral_ _  
For which she's dressed._

 

He wasn’t the party type. He wasn’t even the type to leave his house. But it meant a lot to her. She liked to be shown off. And she loved even more to show him off.

 

And show him off she did.

 

He spent the evening with her hands all over him. Wrapped around his arm, dragging down his back, playing just long enough on his chest to be suggestive but socially acceptable. She looked nice, he thought, when she dressed up. He liked to buy her things just to see the way they stretched over her expanse of sensitive, near sheet-white skin. Some left things to his imagination. Others, like the burgundy halter dress she wore for him tonight, did not.

 

 _Her perfume smells like_   
_Burning leaves._ _  
Everyday is Halloween._

 

He should have known, when he found that her middle name was Dahlia, that he would be bound to her for eternity.

 

She looked up at him, eyes lilted and full of sin. Her hands found their way to the collar of his shirt, and she yanked him down to her level. Passion radiated from her like a burning heat. It was in everything she did, every move she made, every time their eyes met.

 

“You really are my little angel, aren’t you?” He said. She smiled, in a sort of faint, pleased way.

  
“And you,” She pulled him just an inch closer, her lips brushing against his. “Are my God.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I KNOW BLACK NO. 1 ISN'T A HIM SONG SORRY I BROKE THE TITLE COMBO DON'T LYNCH ME  
> also i know the lyrics aren't in order i chose bits that i liked best? don't hurt me


	9. Poison Girl

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ash teaches Sano that pain is not always to be feared.

_ Scalpel drags along skin, _

_ And cool grey meets icy blue. _

_ Where she once felt pain, _

_ He feels pleasure, too. _

 

It had been years since he'd felt so vulnerable. Since fear coiled within his stomach. 

 

She let her fingers run along the array of little tools on his rolling tray.

 

He hadn't forgotten what they did and what he went through. How could he? His biggest reminders were right there on his face.

 

She stopped upon a small, sharp incision knife. 

 

But it was different now. She didn't want him to hurt. She loved him. She wanted to protect him with all her life. 

 

She turned to face him, a sly smile playing on her lips.

 

And that's why she would be the one to help him let his guard down.

 

“Such a pretty sight,” She breathed, running a hand from his stomach to his chest. “My pet all laid out for me. That's what you are, right, Sano? You're  _ my  _ pet tonight. And I'm gonna train you.” 

 

She let the blade of the knife press against his arm, which laid uselessly tied down at his side. He sucked in a breath as she drug it down, ever so gently, just enough to let a few drops of blood well up along the length of the cut.

 

“Ashtyn..” He whimpered, watching his own blood fall down his arm. Her knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip on the blade, causing him to stiffen.

 

“What's that?” She growled, looking at him through furrowed eyebrows and narrowed eyes. He swallowed.

 

“...Mistress.” Sano corrected himself, shifting nervously. A satisfied smile graced her lips, and he relaxed.

 

“Such a good boy.” Ash purred, cupping his cheek in her hand. “My precious pet. You're everything to me, do you know that?” She leaned down to him, so close that her lips just barely grazed his. “You're my entire world.” 

 

A shiver ran down his spine. A little voice in the back of his mind told him that she was the same to him, though he tried to deny it. But she was the only constant in his life. Patients die, friends leave, fathers lie, and brothers disappear. Through all the pain that would have driven others to beg for death, she begged for more. She begged for his attention and his love and a place in his heart. Every day she proved to him that she was under his heel, clay in his hands for him to mold, a blank canvas for him to color and alter as he pleased. 

 

That's why she needed to be the one to blur the lines between pleasure and pain.

 

He laid there, naked and bound to the same table where he'd taken her sanity and her virginity alike, and he had never been more sure of anything in his life.

 

She was on top of him now, shaking him from his thoughts with a predatory kiss to the neck. A breathy moan escaped him as she bit and licked his sensitive, pale flesh, leaving deep reddish-purple marks on the formerly intact surface. 

 

“You're mine, Sano.” Ash panted, her breath hot against his broken skin. “I want everyone to know that you belong to me.” 

 

She forced him flush against the table by pressing her hands into his shoulders, momentarily knocking the air from his lungs. Panic flooded his veins as she began biting at the skin of his jugular, only to be calmed when she opted for sucking on the flesh instead. His breath was shallow as she marked him again, almost as if he feared that she would end him right then and there if he moved.

 

Pulling away from his throat, Ash stared down at her pet. She reached a gentle hand to his face and brushed the hair away from his covered eye. 

 

“I do wish you weren't so self conscious, Sano.” She admitted, staring into the deep blue iris. “It's stunning.” 

 

“...It's unnatural.” Sano retorted, careful to watch his tone. “But.. Thank you.” 

 

Ash smiled down at him, in that dopey, lovestruck way that she often did. 

 

“Nothing about you is natural, Sano.” She cooed, rubbing a hand over his newly bruised throat. “Nothing about  _ us  _ is natural, but who the fuck said that's a bad thing?” Her grip tightened as she spoke, and he felt his heart begin to race. Ash’s eyes pierced his, but somehow, she wasn't looking at him. “You kidnapped me. You took me from my house, my friends, my life…” He opened his mouth to protest. “But you made everything wonderful.” 

 

Sano’s face had begun to lose its color, but she held him there nonetheless. “Because of you, I'm happy again… I have a reason to live, I have a home, I have people who love me..” His breath had stopped. He trembled weakly beneath her. “Because of you… I am alive, for the first time in my life.” 

 

Ash released her iron grip on his throat, and he gasped, the color returning to his face. She leaned down to touch her forehead to his.

 

“That's why I need to make you mine while I have the chance.”

 

She slid off of the table before he could react, retrieving the same tiny knife that had fallen to the floor since she cut him. His eyes went wide.

 

“Be still, my love.” Ash cooed, double checking his restraints. “Love without tears is just a story told to keep us hanging on in the cold, all alone.” She climbed back atop the table, straddling his hips. “Watch. I want you to remember this forever.” 

 

She lowered the knife to his virgin flesh, already having mapped out where she would put the text. Choosing the gorgeous expanse of flesh tightly wrapped around the right side of his ribs, she allowed the blade to pierce into him, eliciting a quick cry from her lover. 

 

“Hush, baby.” Ash fretted. She focused, like an artist making his masterpiece, and drug the blade in various curves until she had a nice “A” permanently scarred into his body.

 

“You're lucky I have such a short name, hm?” She faked a gasp. “Oh, but wait! You always call me by my full name!” A dark grin spread across her face. “I guess that means I have to put that, doesn't it?”

 

Sano swallowed dryly, finding himself unable to look away as she once again drove the very tip of the blade to his ribs. He shook, but she stilled him, her glare serving as silent scorn. The connected letters hurt the most, he noticed, cringing as she tore roughly through his flesh to form a lowercase “h”. Judging by the look of intense concentration on her face, he thought, the end result would at least look nice. That's what he kept telling himself, trying to ease his racing mind and heart.

 

The “t” made him cry out, fresh tears pricking at his eyes when she crossed the lines together. Something about metal rubbing against an already open wound. She hushed him gently, in that maternal way that made him feel a little too hot and bothered for his liking, caressing his cheek and whispering sweet praises to him. He was always “my sweet boy” or “such a good baby”. She gave off that vibe, the one he'd seen when Ren first came to their home. She was the type that could calm a cornered bull with nothing but a touch and a few carefully whispered words. 

 

She flicked her wrist to connect a lowercase “y”. He suddenly became painfully aware of the fact that he was hard. 

 

He breathed a sigh of relief when she started on the “n”, and she chuckled.

 

“It'll all be over soon, darling. Don't lose yourself in your suffering yet.” Ash smiled weakly, tilting his chin towards her. “Hold on to me.” 

 

Sano let his hands find her thighs, his restraints giving him just enough leeway to grip them. He concentrated on his breathing while she finished, though the last letter seemed to take as long as the entirety of those before it.  _ In, out.. In, out.. _

 

Ash exhaled slowly, examining her work. A satisfied smile crept across her pale pink lips.

 

“It's nearly as beautiful as you, Sano.” She said, her voice heavy with pride. 

 

“Thank you, Mistress..” He did not recognize the sound of his own voice. He sounded smaller, farther away. He only wanted to hear her breathing, heavy with effort and maybe something a little more filthy. She slid away from him, landing silently on the floor beneath, like a cat returning from a successful hunt. She padded carefully to a line of cabinets, running her pale fingertips delicately over their smooth white surfaces until they caught upon the knob to one further away, in which he kept his supply of bandages, gauze, and anything else one might need to stop a patient from leaving before the fun was over. Sano let himself relax, closing his eyes and letting his legs fall back to the table, listening carefully as his partner rummaged around for what she would need to put him back together again. 

 

Ash’s footsteps were careful, perfectly placed, as she stalked back to him, arms full of bottles and packages. He snorted.

 

“Mistress, I don’t think you’ll need all that… I’m fine, really.” Sano insisted, sitting up as best as he could. Ash cocked a brow at him.

 

“I just want to make  _ sure _ you’ll be alright. You’ll never let me have this with you again if I fuck up and let you go off and get an infection.” She scolded, setting each item carefully in a row beside him, in the order she would need them. He suppressed an amused chuckle… She was organized in all the wrong ways, and he absolutely loved it about her.

 

A new type of focus entered her eyes this time; something intense. Something caring. She cut a  _ perfect  _ strip of gauze, and put an  _ exact _ amount of antiseptic on a cotton ball, and put a  _ precise _ little dab of Neosporin on a swab. It was nice, he thought, to be taken care of. To be doted on. To be loved. 

 

Any trace of her sadistic facade was gone from her expression, replaced instead by a look of determination, one of an angry desire to fix and to mend. 

 

Still coming down from the searing pain of the knife meeting his flesh, Sano barely noticed the sting of antiseptic flushing out the intricate wounds. He winced, however, when she rubbed the cream-covered swab just slightly too vigorously against the mark of her artistic obsession. 

 

“There.” She soothed after patting the last strip of medical tape onto the heavy layer of bandages. Her voice had taken on that maternal airiness to it, the kind that makes you feel safe and warm. “All better, love.”

 

Sano eased into a sitting position, taking care not to bend in such a way that would ruin her work. He was instantly assaulted with little kisses, each speaking a wordless apology, telling him that she didn't want to hurt him.

 

_ I just wanted to mark you, _ said the kiss on his temple. 

_ I would never do anything to harm you any further than those before me, _ said the one gently placed against the scar on his nose. 

_ I want to make you feel good, _ said those on his cheeks. 

_ I love you more than I love life itself,  _ said the slow, deep kiss to his lips. 

Her eyes looked deep within him. She was tender, soft, alive and in love and all only for him. 

 

“Do you need anything? I could get you water, or if it hurts too terribly bad I can put a heating pad on it.” Ash soothed, making sure to move slowly as she undid his restraints. The last thing she needed was a startled snake. 

 

Sano shook his head, opting instead to rest it on her shoulder as she rubbed his wrists. “Just stay with me for awhile.. Can we go back to my room, actually? This table is uncomfortable.”

 

Ash furrowed her brows at him, biting back a sarcastic remark. Yes, Sano, the table is very uncomfortable. It’s cold and hard and it hurts your back, I KNOW. I spent probably a good few weeks here and I hated it and--

 

She inhaled deeply, gently sliding off of her partner to make quick work of the belts around his ankles. He was tired. What was in the past must stay there. He was vulnerable right now and there was no reason to fight a snake that can’t bite. Ash motioned for him to follow her, allowing him to drape an arm around her shoulders and lean against her on his good side for support. Of course it wasn’t totally necessary, but, he needed closeness right now. He was vulnerable. He was a snake that would not bite, even if he wanted to.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

“Are you sure you don’t need anything?” Came that soft, airy, maternal voice he could never get quite used to. He made a soft sound that was supposed to affirm her statement, but came out as nothing more than an exhausted grunt. Ash chuckled, causing the head laid sleepily on her chest to waver with the movement. She brought a finger to his hair, parting the pieces and letting the softness encompass her skin. Sano sighed contentedly. 

 

“Would you consider this to be exposure therapy?” He mumbled, a soft smile appearing on his face. Ash rolled her eyes and gave him a little smack on the back of the head, eliciting an amused chuckle from her lover. 

 

“Go to sleep, Sano.” She scolded. On any other day he would have protested, told her not to talk to him that way, but tonight was different. Tonight he was tired. Mentally and physically exhausted. She smelled like lavender and vanilla and comfort and home. Her fingers drug up and down his spine, careful to steer clear of the area surrounding his new injury. 

 

He fell asleep to the tune of her breathing, the rise and fall of her chest a semi-silent lullaby, giving him the peaceful rest he could not achieve without her there. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back at it again!! :O thank you to everyone who's stuck by me! Unfortunately school completely kicked my ass this semester and I had no motivation for personal writing.. This chapter took about two months total haha! I've been talking personally to electricpuke for a few weeks and it's helped my inspiration kick back in, so thanks ofc to him! <3333 I hope y'all like this chapter. It's a really deep one!

**Author's Note:**

> Please be gentle lmao this is my first fic that I'm actually... putting out there.


End file.
